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Two poetry courses that changed her courseTwo poetry courses she took at Madison were also significant for Charlotte,
in very different ways. One she says, " ... immensely honed and sharpened my
An editor is born...Charlotte started out in the adult trade (as opposed to textbook)
In this sense, Ursula and Charlotte were soul-mates. Over the years, the two of them would become identified in the field for their shared respect for children's minds and feelings, and their belief that children were capable of understanding the best that any writer or artist could offer them. Although they became colleagues and equals,
Interestingly, Charlotte's older sister, Dorothy, also became an editor,
of ...and a children's book writer is developedCharlotte greatly admired the writing of Margaret Wise Brown, a prolific and wildly gifted writer whose ability to put the deep experiences of childhood into simple, beautiful language was unequaled. One day, when Charlotte was relatively new to working for Ursula, she innocently sent Ursula a memo, suggesting an idea for a book about life as it changes over 24 hours at a park, which she felt Margaret Wise Brown could write. Charlotte was completely unaware that almost never would an editor make such a suggestion to any writer, let alone one as established, and with as much her own voice, as Brown. In what seemed to be great irritation, Ursula asked her to expand on the memo. "Just what," she asked Charlotte, slightly combatively, "do you think is so special about the park?" Charlotte elaborated on the memo, in writing... and was totally unprepared for Ursula's sudden appearance at her desk. "Congratulations," said Ursula to Charlotte. "You've just sold your first children's book."
Her first, but not her lastThis was The Park Book. Illustrated by H.A. Rey, published in 1944, it stayed in print until
1977, and was the first of many, many children's books Charlotte would write.
She would win awards and honors (The
Storm Book, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham, was the winner of a 1953
Caldecott Honor), and have her work illustrated by some of the
Story by story, book by book, Charlotte has continued writing. In her
eighth decade, she can look back on more than 90 published books, To learn more about Charlotte's life, continue on Charlotte's Biography (page 3 of 4).
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commitment to understanding and helping talented writers and artists
flower. In her, Charlotte found an active proponent of the idea that children's
books should be honest, faithful to the sometimes difficult experience of
childhood, an idea which Charlotte had always held. (Ursula
Nordstrom, pictured above and left, in a photo taken in 1969. The cover of Dear
Genius, an anthology of Ursula's
letters to many of the greats of children's literature, including Charlotte, is
at the right. The book, which was edited by Leonard Marcus, is a must for
students of contemporary children's literature.) 
most acclaimed children's
book artists of our time: Maurice Sendak (who did her Mr. Rabbit and the
Lovely Present), Anita Lobel ( 
many
re-issued with new illustrations a second or third time, almost all published in
numerous foreign language editions (she is particularly popular in Japan). And she continues to
write and sell books. For instance, Who Is Ben? (cover pictured
right) was published in 1997,
when Charlotte was 82.